noun. the state of being united or joined as a whole.
Unity is being together or at one with someone or something. It’s the opposite of being divided. This is a word for togetherness or oneness.
Before #Covid19:
Our world had become divided. Our society had become disjointed. Our school system had become fragmented. Our individualism has overridden our collective endeavour.
“United we stand, divided we fall”.Aesop
During Lockdown:
Our communities have become more united. Our shared experience has forged connections and understanding. Our sense of togetherness has been renewed.
“In union there is strength”.Aesop
After Social Distancing:
Will we remember this experiences and the lessons we are learning? Will we honour this state of being and carry it into our future state? Will we continue as a united front?
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”.Helen Keller
The pandemic has sent us many messages. The universe has spoken, loud and clear: humanity needs to stop, pause and listen. But what messages are we hearing?
Many of the blog themes in the last few weeks have made me think of a play I used to teach at GCSE: An Inspector Calls by JB Priestley. The ghostly inspector visits, spotlighting death and deception through his supernatural powers of perception and persuasion. The play explores the concept of society.
The drama is a series of revelations and the Inspector is a catalyst for a series of events that unfold with the play ending with the visitor leaving more questions than answers. His presence is felt, and provokes each character into exposing themselves as each has committed a crime which relate to the seven deadly sins. Priestley’s intentions were to reveal to the audience the social state of England in 1945, as he felt that little had changed since the turn of the century.
The play was written 75 years ago, but so much of this social landscape and his commentary on it resonates today.
J B Priestley believed in socialism, he was a political thinker and the play is a social commentary. The play explores the construct of socialism and proposes the idea of common ownership and suggests that we should all look after one another, that we should serve our communities. The Birling family represent the greed of capitalism, the selfishness of the corporate world and individuals who are self-serving.
Is this Pandemic that uninvited visitor, who has appeared to disrupt the equilibrium by shining a cold, white light on the world, thus forcing us to scrutinise our daily existence?
“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean”.Ryunosuke Satoro
So many parallels can be drawn between this play and our current situation.
Our current focus is on the Pandemic, on our unwanted guest, but should it in fact be on the cracks that are appearing? The ‘truths’ that are being exposed?
The Government’s plans are around the economy, but should they instead be concerned about humanity?
The countries that have survived this crisis and been left the least damaged by it are the countries which are the most liberal, the countries who place their people, their society and their communities at the centre of their decision making. The focus on wellbeing in these countries does not go unnoticed.
“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”.African proverb.
We have so much to learn, so much to develop and so much to do differently moving forwards. Will we be the agents of this much needed social change?
We were competing not collaborating. We were divided. We were separate. We were incohesive.
We are connecting and supporting. We are united. We are a collective voice. We are acting as one. We are cohesive.
We are united by our humanity, for now, but how long will this continue and will we sustain this focus as we come out the other side?
Ethical_Leader 